Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Marrying Up by Wendy Holden

Beautiful but broke student Polly and scheming social climber Alexa may have grown up in the same place, but they couldn't be more different. Polly's just fallen for Max, a handsome country vet. But Alexa can't be bothered with love—any guy with a pedigree will do, mind you, as long as he comes with a title, a mansion, and a family tiara.

Alexa wiggles her way into friendship with Florrie, a clueless aristocrat who could support entire countries with her spare change. Suddenly the grandest doors swing open for Alexa, and a new life is so close she can taste it. Polly could care less about Max's money, but his mysterious habit of disappearing scares her. What's he hiding?

Razor sharp in its wit, and as fresh as newlywed royals, Marrying Up reveals how sometimes a rags–to–riches story can rip a girl to shreds—and how sometimes the rewards of love aren't always what you expect.

Polly and Alexa may have come from the same humble beginnings, but when it comes to where they’d like to go, they’re on opposite ends of the spectrum. While all Polly wants is to marry the man of her dreams, Alexa’s looking to climb the ladder as high as she can, at any cost. When their two very different worlds collide, sparks are going to fly… and chaos shall ensue!

Polly is your typical girl-next-door. She’s had her heart broken and is working to ignore it as best as she can. With the aid of her supportive parents and her unwavering sense of humor, she’ll manage to pull through. What I love most about Polly is that she’s very real. She’s unapologetic in her feelings and actions, and just does her best to get through the days. If anyone deserves a wonderful man like Max, it’s Polly.

Max is everything that Polly could have ever wanted, but he’s harboring a secret. One that will completely change the way she feels about him. Or will it? He has no way of knowing for sure until he tells her. It was really fun to watch him woo her even while she was turning into her own worst enemy. The fact that he doesn’t let her runaway mouth get between them really endeared him to me. He’s patient, he’s kind, and he’s hot – what more could a girl want? Max is so good with both Polly and her family that it made me want to take him home, too.

Alexa and her comrade-in-arms, Barney, are the comic relief of the story. Although their determination to live a life of social stardom is despicable and underhanded at times, their sheer audacity kept me in stitches. The things these two will do just for a little recognition was amazing. And there was absolutely nothing they wouldn’t try to gain that status they were aiming for. In addition to Alexa and Barney, Marrying Up was loaded with an amazing cast of side characters that were too much to believe sometimes. But they certainly kept the laughter flowing.

Marrying Up is an entertaining combination of sweet love story, humorous adventure, and incessant social climbing. Sometimes frustrating, sometimes laugh out loud funny, and always witty, this book refused to let me walk away from it. A very enjoyable read that makes the utterly unbelievable into an entertaining story that I’m not going to forget anytime soon.

RATING EXPLANATION:

1 Star— At this time, we at LASR do not post these reviews. If the book was boring, badly edited, poorly written, had little or no plot, stilted dialogue, and/or unsympathetic characters, we will decline the review.

2 Stars— Not wonderful, but tolerable. There may be some minor editing glitches but not enough to stop you reading. Not a wall-banger, but nothing you'd re-read. This is a book you would borrow from the library - not buy - and never check out again.

3 Stars— Good. Mostly enjoyable. You made it through and didn't consider it a waste of time or money. The story was strong enough or the conflict tight enough, so even when the book faltered, it was able to draw you back in and keep you. There's a chance you'll recommend it to a friend, but it wouldn't go on your keeper shelf.

4 Stars— Very Good. You're glad you were the one who got to review the book. You would probably buy it and would definitely recommend it to your friends. You liked the characters and the plot. The writing style was good and the editing clean.

5 Stars— Great! You would definitely buy this book. You would definitely recommend it to your friends. You really loved the characters and the plot and would consider looking for this authors back list or making her an autobuy. The writing and editing were superb.

LASR Best Book - For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you're not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise - and reserved for only a few.

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